Shift mechanism



Feb. 2, 1937. J. F. KocA 2,069,671

SHIFT MEcHANIsM Filed Maron 2, 193s 2 sheets-sheet 1 J. F. KOCA SHIFT MECHANISM Feb. 2, 1937.

Filed March 2, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 2, 1937 SHIFT MECHANISM James F. Koca, Woodstock, Ill., assigner to Woodstock Typewriter Company, Woodstock, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application March 2, 1933, Serial No. 659,333

9 Claims.

This invention relates to typewriters and particularly to shift mechanism. More specifically the invention relates to shift mechanism for electrically operated typewriters.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide new and improved shift mechanism for electrically positioning the carriage and consequently the platen relative to the type bar upon the depression of a single key lever.

Another object of the invention is to provide electrically controlled and operated shift mechanism for shifting a platen relative to the type on a type bar upon the depression of a shift key as well as shift lock mechanism cooperating with the shift key for locking the shift key in shifted position.

A further object is to provide simple, efficient, and positive electrically operating mechanism for positioning the carriage and the platen to shifted position and for maintaining the carriage in such shifted position.

A still further object is to provide a new and novel arrangement cf parts including a continuously rotating shaft cooperating with certain correlated parts and controlled by shift key mechanism to control the movement of the carriage and platen to and from shifted position.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughoutvthe progress of the following specification.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a selected embodiment of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

' Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view through a typewriter and embodying the invention, the parts being in their normal initial position.

Fig. 2 is a detail plan section looking in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional View of some of the key shifting mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

' Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in an advanced. or shifted position.

The typewriter to which the invention appertains has a frame I0 which supports the front and rearcarriage rails II and I2 respectively, Figs. 1 and 4, which support the carriage I3. The particular typewriter herein shown is a Woodstock typewriter and, in general, the parts including the frame, type bars, platen, and others l are standard in Woodstock machines, and the various parts will not be described except in Aconjunction with'thoserequired for electrically shifting the carriage andplaten,

` The typewriter has a platen I4 which is supported on the carriage I3 and may be shifted by a shift lever I5 having a shift key I6. The end I1 of the shift key has a pivotal connection with a pin I8 as indicated at I9, Fig. 1. The shift key is normally resiliently held in normal position so thatv after depression, the spring I9' will return the key lever to initial position. A shift lock lever 26 having a key 2| is pivoted to the shift lever I5 as indicated at 22. The lever 20 has a slot 23 which is engaged by a pin 24 on the lever I5. The lever 20 has a tail-piece 25 carrying a locking latch or p-awl 26, which pawl is adapted to engage a rigid keeper member 21 on a stud 28. A spring 29 isconnected to the pin 24 and to an end 30 on the projection or tail-piece 25 and urges the lock lever 20 in a predetermined position to hold the lock lever in initial and normal up position. The shift key and the shift lock are conventional with Woodlstock typewriters, and from the description so `far given' it can be seen that depression of the shift key will carry with .it the shift lock lever, but the shift lock lever will not be locked in position. However, when the shift lock key is depressed, the pawl or latch 26 will engage with its keeper 21 and .hold the shift key in locked or shifted position and will so remain until released by the depression of the shift key. Depression of the shift key, due to the pin 24 engaging the slot 23, will swing the lever 2I on its pivot 22 a predetermined amount sucient to release the pawl 26 from the catch 21. The

' shift lever I5 carries a pin 3| which has limited engagement in the slot 32 of the bifurcated end Y 33 on the offset arm or bracket 34.

or bracket is fixed, as indicated at 35, to a transverse rod 36 which has its ends revolubly mounted in the frame I0 asindicated at 31.. A second shift key I6 and a-second shift lock 2I' are connected to the transverse rod 36 in the same manner just described, and these two keys are connected and operated by parts exactly the same as those previously described. The only difference is that the first described shift key and shift lock are mounted on the right hand side of the machine. Thus, when one shift key is depressed, the other key will also be depressed due to the connection with the rod .36. Also, depression of one shift lock key will lock the shift key and both shift keys will be held in downward Y or shifted position until either one of the shift keys is depressed to disengage the pawl 26 from its respective keeperl 21.` Y Y A A bell-crank `3B. ispivoted to the stud28 Vand.

This arm has arms 39 and Vlill. The arm 40 carries a pin 4| which fits in a slot 42 formed in the bifurcated end 43 of an arm 44. The arm 44 is connected to the offset arm or bracket 34 as indicated at 45 and 46. The upper end of the arm 39 of the bell-crank 38 is pivoted at 41 to an adjustable link 48. Therefore, when either a shift key I6 or a shift lock 2| is depressed, the bell-crank 38 will swing on its pivot and move the link 48 to the left, Fig. 1.

The end 49 of the link 48 is pivoted at 50 to a latch 5| which is pivoted to a bracket 52 as indicated at53. A second latch 54 carrying a projection 55 is pivoted to the adjustable arm 56 as indicated at 54. The latch 5| carries a locking pawl 51 which is adapted to become latched or engaged with a pawl 58 which is pivoted at 59 to a cam member 68.

The cam member 60 is revolubly mounted on a shaft 6| which is continually rotated by means, not shown, from a motor 62. The pawl 58 has a latching' end 63 which is adapted to be thrown into engagement with upstanding teeth 64 on. a ratchet member 65 to lock the cam 68 to the shaft 6| and cause the cam to rotate therewith. A spring 66 is fastened to the tail-piece of the pawl 58 and urges this pawl in a predetermined direction and normallyY into engagement with the pawl 51. A pawl stop 58' limits the movement of the pawl 58 in a predetermined direction. Thus, when a shift key or a shift lock key is depressed, the link 48 will swing the latch 5| on its pvot 53 kand cause disengagement of the pawl 51 from the pawl 58, thereby permitting thespring 66 topull the engaging end 63 of the pawl 58 into position to be engaged by the rotating ratchet 64 and thereby lock the cam ,Gilto the shaft 6|.

A cam Yfollower 61 is carried by an extension 68 of the adjustable arm 56 which is adjustably fastened to the bracket` 69. VThe bracket 69 is. pivoted at 10 to part of the main frame I0. Therefore, the weight of the bracket 69 and fthe adjustable arm 56'is supported on the periphery of the cam 68 by the cam .follower or roller 61.

During rotation of the cam, as previously described, the cam 68 will cause the Vbracket 69 and consequently the adjusted arm 56 to have swinging movement on `the pivot l10. The bracket 69 has a flange 1| upon which a longitudinal bar or rod 12 has one end fixed. The other end of the bar or rod 12 is supported in a second bracket 69 located at the left handside of the machine. The adjustable arm 56 is pivoted to the bracket as indicated at 13, and a slot and screw connection 14 holds the adjustable arm 56 in adjusted position relative to the bracket 69.` The adjustment of the arm 56 is made by the nut and screw connection indicated generally by the numeral` 15. Thus, when a shift Vkey V|6 or a shift lock key 2| is depressed, the link 48 will swing the latch 5| on its pivot 53 and release the pawl 51 from engagement with the pawl 58 at which time the spring 66 will cause the latch end 63 of the pawl 58 to come into locking engagement with a tooth ,64 on the ratchet 65 and .cause rotation of the cam 6|).V This rotation of the cam will cause the adjustable arm 56 to swing in a clockwisedirection on the pivot 1D andV raise the platen support 16.

'The platen support 16 is fastened to the carriage |3 by upper and lower links 11 and 18 respectively. 'An arm 19 ixed to the platen sup- .port16carries aV roller 80 which rests onthe longitudinalV bar or rod 12. Therefore raising or lowering movement of the bar 12 causes similar movement of the platen support relative to the carriage, permitting the proper type on the type bar to be shifted to printing impression.

During the swinging' movement of the adjustable arm 56, the projecting latch end 55 of latch Vmember 54 will be swung to the left, Fig. 1, to

bring the latch end 55 into locking engagement with `the pawl 58, thereby releasing the latching member 63 from the ratchet 65. The cam will thus cease rotating and the carriage support 16 will be held in raised position as longras the link 48 is held in shifted position. The link 4,8v

Adisconnect thev latching end 55 of latch 54 from the pawl 58. A pin and slot connection 84 in the bracket 52 and the latch 5| respectively limits the movement of the Vlatch 5|. Upon `release of the latching end 55 from the pawl 58, the latching end 63 of the pawl 58 will again become engaged with the rotating' ratchet 65 and cause the cam to again rotate with the shaft 6| until the pawl 58 becomes engaged with the pawl 51. Upon engagement of these two rpawls, the latching end 63 Will` again become disengaged `from the ratchet 65 and the parts will return from the shifted position shown in Fig. 4 to normal initial position shown inV Fig. 1. The latch 54 has a tail-piece 85 ,to which a spring 86 is fastened to normally hold the tail-piece against a pin 81 on the arm 56. Therefore, the latch 54 kis resiliently held in proper operative position and provides a 'flexible connection for these members. v v a A detent 88 'is provided with a recess 8 9'to engage pinsV 98 on the cam to assist in holding position'. shown in Fig. l

the cam in either lthe or Fig. 4. Y Y Y 'I'he invention provides improved and relatively simple means controlled by the depression of a single shift key yfor mechanically shifting the platen by electrically operated means to bring the platen in proper position relative to a type bar. The parts constituting theinvention are simplebut rigid in construction, efficient in operation and require very little space. parts are properly proportioned and timed sov that the operation is performed at the proper time.V a

Changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without (le-, y

parting' from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of Vits advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all 'such changes asv of the followingY bly supported on the carriage, a shaft adapted to be rotated, a cam freely mounted on fthe shaft,

a shift lever, means connecting Vthe shift lever.,

cam is locked to the. shaft, means controlled bynf movement of the cani engaging means for unlocking the cam from the shaft and means for returning the parts to initial. position after the shiftingf the platen.

2. In combination with an electrically driven typewriter having a drive shaft and type bars driven by said drive shaft, an auxiliary shaft adapted to be rotated, a cam freely mounted on the shaft, a -depressible shift lever, means controlled by the shift lever to lock the cam to the shaft and cause rotation of the cam, means constantly engaging the cam and cooperating with the platen and operated by the cam for shifting the pla-ten, means controlled by the platen shifting means for unlocking the cam from the shaft, and means for returning the parts to initial position, said platen being operated and returned to initial position during a single rotation of the cam.

3. In combination with an electrically .driven typewriter having a drive shaft and type bars driven by said drive shaft, an auxiliary shaft adapted to be rotated, a cam freely mounted on the shaft, a depressible shift lever, means controlled by the shift lever to lock the cam to the shaft and cause rotation of the cam, means constantly engaging'the cam and cooperating with the platen and operated by the cam for shifting the platen, means controlled by the platen shifting means for unlocking the cam from the shaft, and means for returning the parts to initial position, said platen being operated and returned to initial position by a single rotation of the cam, and a shift lock for locking the shift lever in depressed position to cause the platen to be maintained in shifted position.

4. In combination with an electrically driven typewriter having a drive shaft and type bars driven by said drive shaft, a continuously rotating auxiliary shaft, a cam freely mounted on the auxiliary shaft, a ratchet fixed to the auxiliary shaft, a locking pawl carried by the cam, a shift lever, means controlled by the depression of the lever to cause engagement of the pawl with the ratchet and cause the cam to rotate with the auxiliary shaft, a platen, means constantly engaging the cam and cooperating with the platen and operated by the rotation of the cam to shift the platen, and means carried by the cam operated means for releasing the pawl from the ratchet and preventing further rotation of the cam, and means for returning the parts to initial position after the shifting of the platen, said platen being operated and returned to normal position during only one operation of the cam.

5. In a typewriter, a carriage, a platen shiftably supported on the carriage, a power operated rotary member, a rotatably mounted cam, means for rotating the cam from said member, means engageable with the cam for shifting theplaten, and means controlled by the shifting means for unclutching the cam and rotary member after a partial revolution of the cam, said shifting means being operable during the greater portion of a single revolution of the cam to shift the platen from normal to shifted position and being operable during the remainder of said cam revolutionV to return the platen to normal position.

6. In a typewriter, a carriage, a platen shiftably supported on the carriage, a power operated rotary member, a rotatably mounted cam, means for clutching the cam to said member for rotation therewith, means engageable with the cam for shifting the platen, and means controlled by the shifting means for unclutching the cam and rotary member after a partial revolution of the typewriter having a drive shaft, a platen, and type bars driven by said drive shaft, an auxiliary shaft adapted to be rotated, a cam freely mounted on the shaft, a depressible shift lever, means controlled by the shift lever to lock the cam to the shaft and cause rotation of the cam, means cooperating with the platen and operated by the cam for shifting the platen, means controlled by the platen shifting means for unlocking the cam from the shaft, and means for returning the parts to normal position, said platen being operated to shifted position during the .greater part of a single operation of the cam and being returned to normal during the remainder of said operation.

9. In a typewriter, a carriage, a platen shiftably supported on the carriage, a power operated rotary member, a rotatably mounted cam, means for clutching the cam to said member for rotation therewith, means engageable with the cam for shifting the platen, means controlled by the shifting means for simultaneously unclutching the cam from the rotary member after a partial revolution of the cam and holding'the cam at said partially revolved position, and releasing means associated with the unclutching means for moving the unclutohing-means out of operative position whereby to allow the cam to move from partially revolved position to its original position.

Y JAMES F. KOCA. 

